


Falling

by dogpoet



Category: Smallville
Genre: AU, M/M, Teacher-Student
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-07-30
Updated: 2004-07-30
Packaged: 2017-10-06 03:16:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dogpoet/pseuds/dogpoet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something is happening to Lex. Something he can't understand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling

**Author's Note:**

> The Bradbury story is called "All Summer in a Day."

"Mr. Luthor, may I see you after class?"

Several students within earshot giggled. Lex just grinned. "Sure, Professor Kent. You can see me anytime you want."

Lex was used to being reprimanded, chastised, rebuked. He was used to detention, suspension, even expulsion. It was a game. A game he played well. He watched the hands of the clock and ignored Professor Kent's lecture on solar flares. Who the fuck cared? Lex had read it all when he was twelve. College was so elementary.

After class, Lex swept his books off his desk and began to filter out of the room with the other students.

"Mr. Luthor."

Lex turned around. "You got me. I was trying to leave."

Professor Kent regarded him oddly. "You're failing this class."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Your father can't buy me."

"He doesn't have to buy you. He can buy someone higher up than you."

Professor Kent approached him. The room was empty and quiet. Still. Late afternoon sunlight filtered through the ancient windows.

"You like to piss your father off by making him bail you out?"

"It seems to work for both of us. We have an agreement."

"I won't be part of that." Behind the glasses, Professor Kent's eyes were wide and green.

"I get it. You want some other form of payment." Lex ran his hand down the front of Professor Kent's pants and began to sink to his knees.

Before he could reach the ground, faster even than he could think, a strong hand grabbed his shirt and pulled him to a standing position. Professor Kent backed him up against the wall.

"Don't ever. Ever. Put yourself down like that again. You're better than that."

"No. I'm not."

Professor Kent let go of his shirt. Lex made a point of smoothing the wrinkles.

"What do you want from me?" Lex asked. Because someone always wanted something from him.

"I want you to do the work. I know you're smarter than everyone else. Why are you so bent on proving the opposite?"

"I like being devil's advocate."

"I'm going to give you an A in this class. But you're going to earn it. I want a 20 page paper in my mailbox by next Tuesday. It can be on anything we've covered in the reading. Prove to me how smart you are." Professor Kent walked quickly out of the room, closing the door behind him.

***

Professor Kent paced up the aisles of the classroom handing back quizzes. When he reached Lex's desk, he tossed a thick sheaf of papers down. "Not bad, Mr. Luthor. See me after class, please."

Lex got a couple of knowing glances from the guys in the next row. Lex smiled. They thought he was fucking the professor to get a good grade. That was exactly what he wanted them to think. Silently, he flipped to the back of the paper. He was both surprised and unexpectedly pleased to see that Professor Kent had given him an A. After class, he didn't attempt escape. He sat in his seat and waited for Professor Kent to come to him.

"Have you heard of inappropriate student-teacher relations?" Lex asked, smirking.

Professor Kent sat at the desk beside Lex's. "Do you think our relationship is inappropriate?" he responded quietly, with no sarcasm.

Lex suddenly felt guilty for his insinuation. "No," he said, almost following it with, "But I'd like it to be."

"I did the paper," Lex said. "What more do you want?"

"I want you to do another paper."

"You think I live to write papers for you?" This guy had some balls. He probably had a big cock, too. Life would be so much simpler in a sex-for-grades world.

"I want you to do a research paper on what we know of planets outside our solar system. Turn it in on Tuesday."

"What happens if I don't do it?"

"What happens if you do?" Professor Kent asked, and smiled at Lex in a way Lex wasn't sure how to interpret. From anyone else it would have been suggestive and dirty. But on Professor Kent, it was ambiguous.

Lex got up from his seat. "I'll think about it," he said, knowing as he said it that it would be done by Monday.

***

Three twenty-page-papers later, Lex was starting to question Professor Kent's sanity. And his own. He'd certainly earned his A by now. One day after class, he lingered until the other students had gone.

"Is there something I can do for you, Mr. Luthor?" Professor Kent asked as he cleaned the dry-erase board.

"I think I've earned my A by now," Lex replied, approaching the front of the room.

"You're your own harshest critic, so if you think you've earned it, then you have." Professor Kent turned to face Lex.

The answer surprised Lex. He thought he had been working for Professor Kent's approval, but that wasn't what his teacher had intended at all.

"So... no more papers?"

"If you write more, I'll read them." There was a warmth in Professor Kent's eyes that Lex hadn't noticed before.

"Then what? An A+?"

Professor Kent smiled. "You already have an A+. Did you want something else?"

That was a dangerous question to ask a Luthor. Lex came closer to Professor Kent and slid a hand over his hip.

"I want this," Lex said.

It took a moment for Professor Kent to react. He pulled away. "No, you don't."

"I've been thinking about it all semester," Lex said in the voice that never failed to work.

"I know you're used to getting what you want --"

"No. I'm not used to it," Lex said, suddenly angry. "In fact, I rarely get what I want. The things that really matter..."

Professor Kent waited silently for Lex to finish.

"Some things..." Lex whispered, oddly emotional, unable to finish the thought. "I know you can't be bought, but can you be won?" Lex didn't recognize his own voice.

"Yes, I can be." Professor Kent gazed at him openly.

It was a challenge. And, for the first time in his life, Lex didn't have a battle plan.

***

Lex knew that Professor Kent wasn't likely to be impressed with the usual -- expensive cars, booze, parties, drugs -- all things that had gotten Lex laid in the past.

Despite his reputation, Lex was not only smart, but observant. He knew that, for Professor Kent, astronomy wasn't a profession, it was a passion. There was reverence in his voice when he lectured about stars and planets. It was almost as if he had a personal stake in the subject.

Resolving _not_ to spend an inordinate amount of money, Lex instead risked incurring jail time.

Breaking into the science building at night was easy. Doing it with a very tall metal ladder was another matter entirely...

The next day, Lex came to class as usual. The class was 300-level, so it took place in a smaller room, rather than the large lecture hall. It was only this fact that had allowed Lex to undertake his task at all.

As was his custom, Professor Kent turned off the lights halfway through class to show slides. The moment he did so, the students noticed the ceiling and began commenting. The stars glowed, pale and shimmery, arranged in constellations.

"It appears as if someone has decorated my classroom," Professor Kent said, staring upward.

Some of the girls began to giggle for no apparent reason. Lex slouched nonchalantly, glancing at the stars above him as if he didn't care any more than anyone else.

It had taken him all night. He'd almost broken his neck.

***

Professor Kent made no mention of the stars, nor of the two goldfish that appeared outside of his office several days later. But when Lex was determined to accomplish something, he wasn't easily deterred.

On the following Saturday night, when everyone else was out getting drunk and laid, Lex started his next project. It didn't take quite as long as the first endeavor, but it had required background research. After his reconnaissance mission, Lex knew that Professor Kent subscribed to _The Daily Planet_ (including Sunday), and that he exited his house early each morning, still in his pajamas, to get it.

The stars wouldn't have been noticeable if you were just walking down the street. They were shiny, but small, like the ones elementary school teachers put on quizzes to show that you had done a good job. Lex placed them at one-foot intervals along the sidewalk, starting with a prominent cluster at Professor Kent's front door.

Lex's romantic sensibility had long ago been sullied by aggressive sexual misconduct, debilitating drug use, and experiences that some might consider rape, but that were only a matter of course for Lex. He'd long ago given up the notion that true love was out there, or that there were soul-mates. He'd even given up any concept of his body as sacred. He was no more than a vessel for pleasure. Or pain.

Professor Kent confused him. Threw a wrench in what he considered to be a law of the universe. Lex refused, however, to acknowledge anything beyond attraction. He wanted Professor Kent in a way he couldn't name or describe, except that it was more intense than anything he'd ever felt. But most importantly, Lex was never one to back down from a challenge. Winning this game was a matter of pride. His ignorance of the rules just made it that much more exciting.

Back at his apartment, where the trail of stars ended, Lex waited. Everything was ready. Not that he'd _ever_ made pancakes in his life, but he'd looked up a recipe, and it didn't seem that difficult. Surely, a Luthor was capable of making brunch.

Lex couldn't explain why he was nervous. Why he kept looking at the clock, his heart speeding up a bit. He wondered if the plan would even work.

At 9:07, there was a quiet knock on the door. Lex jumped up from the couch, almost tripping on his way to answer.

"Hi," he said as he opened the door.

"Hi," Professor Kent responded awkwardly, adjusting his glasses. He looked neatly combed, as if he were on his way to church, a possibility Lex hadn't even considered. Except, he wore a gray Sharks t-shirt, and faded jeans. Definitely not church attire.

For a moment, Lex was speechless, held captive by what had to be the nicest set of biceps he'd ever seen. Why did the man insist on covering that up with dress shirts?

Lex dragged his gaze to Professor Kent's face. "Come in," he said, stepping back.

"I hope I'm not too early," Professor Kent said, glancing around the apartment.

"You're just on time. Would you like something to drink? I have orange juice or coffee..." Lex felt rambly and out of control.

"Do you have milk?"

"Milk. Yes." Normally, no. Normally, Lex only had booze and Tynant. Thank God the pancake recipe had called for milk. He got the plastic jug out of the refrigerator.

"What are you making?" Professor Kent asked from right behind him.

"Pancakes. Do you like pancakes?" Lex turned around to hand the glass of milk to his guest.

Professor Kent smiled. He was so close that Lex could feel his warmth. Could smell the clean scent of his soap or shampoo, nothing too strong, just barely there.

"I love pancakes. My mom always makes them on Sundays."

Lex knew nothing about Professor Kent's life, and he wondered what his family was like. Clearly, his mom did maternal things like make pancakes.

"I don't think mine will be as good as your mom's." Lex surveyed the clutter of mixing bowls on the counter. He hadn't the faintest clue where to start, as evidenced by the open recipe book beside the flour.

"I can help you. I have plenty of experience." Professor Kent moved toward the cookbook, looking down at it with interest.

"I've never made them before," Lex said abruptly. He felt stupid for not having everything ready and perfect.

Professor Kent picked up one of the utensils. "I can tell. I've never used a potato masher to make pancakes before."

"Is that what that is? I thought it was a whisk." The cook from the mansion had stocked the kitchen with many things for which Lex had no use. "Maybe we should skip brunch," Lex amended. "I can take you out instead."

"I like staying in on Sunday morning."

Lex took the potato masher. "We could skip brunch to do other things," Lex said in his low voice, back in control. He slipped a hand under Professor Kent's t-shirt.

Professor Kent took his hand and gently halted its explorations. "Lex..." His voice had that apologetic tone Lex hated.

"Did you come here to tell me we should just be friends?" Lex asked, jerking his hand from Professor Kent's grasp.

"No, not at all. I don't know why I came, because I shouldn't be here. You're intelligent and -- " Professor Kent stopped speaking and stared at the floor as if it held answers. "You aren't like anyone I've ever met," he said, finally. "I'm very attracted to you."

It wasn't a big deal. Plenty of people had been attracted to him. Or his money. Maybe his cars. He wasn't really sure which, when he gave it serious thought.

"You can fuck me," Lex whispered, tipping his mouth up to Professor Kent's ear. Lex didn't believe in playing hard-to-get. He wanted to have sex and didn't see any reason to delay the event.

Professor Kent sighed and pulled away.

"I don't want to. I mean, I _do_, but not now, not that way."

"What other way is there?"

"This way," Professor Kent said as he cupped Lex's jaw and laid a soft kiss on his cheek.

Lex closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He wasn't sure exactly what to expect. When he opened his eyes again, Professor Kent was staring at him with a strange expression.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm hungry. I think we should make these pancakes."

"Okay." Lex was confused, but it couldn't hurt to make pancakes. That had been his plan all along.

***

Lex was even more confused after brunch. Professor Kent had helped him make a delicious breakfast. They had joked around in the kitchen, and then had pigged out while telling each other about their childhoods. Lex _thought_ the morning was going pretty well. So, when Professor Kent took his leave, giving Lex no more than a kiss on the cheek, Lex wondered if maybe he'd read everything all wrong. Generally, when someone had a good time with him, they fucked him afterwards. But, as Lex was learning, Clark Kent had a different way of operating...

For the next few weeks, it was the same. They got together for what appeared to be dates, but Lex was continually disappointed by the lack of action. There were a few kisses, some more lingering than others. There was hand-holding, even hugging. Lex had never been one to appreciate the preamble. He usually saw it as no more than a means to an end. Usually, he and his partner(s) were too stoned to care about niceties like foreplay and lube.

He was startlingly sober and lucid when Professor Kent hugged him for the first time, gathering him into his strong arms. Lex stood stiffly at first, unused to being enclosed in someone's warmth. But after a few seconds, he relaxed enough to notice the sensations. To feel the muscles of the body next to him, to smell the faint layers of scent that were distinctly Clark Kent, to listen to the pattern of their breaths. He could even feel Professor Kent's heart beating next to his, a gentle thumping, so steady and sure. It was beautiful. Lex suddenly felt dizzy, and completely overwhelmed. He lifted his chin unconsciously, and their lips met for a moment before Professor Kent pulled away and said goodbye.

When the term ended, Lex lingered in his apartment, dreading his return to the mansion for formal Christmas parties and paternal torture. He'd never admit it, but he was elated when Clark (as Professor Kent now insisted upon) called and asked if he'd like to go ice-skating in the park. Lex would also never admit that he didn't know how to do something. Therefore, he didn't tell Clark he'd never skated. He was a fast learner. How hard could it be?

***

Growing older, Lex thought, as he fell to the ice for the third time, was all about learning to hide your pain. His tailbone hurt like a sonofabitch, but he fought back the stinging sensation in his nose. He refused to cry.

"Lex?" Clark skated easily to a stop.

"I'm okay."

Clark helped him up. "Are you sure? That's the third time."

"I know."

"You've never skated before, have you?"

"I learn fast. I can do it," Lex said stubbornly.

"Of course you can, but we're supposed to be having fun. It'll be easier if you hold my hand." Clark smiled at him, amused but not mocking.

A light snow was falling, and Clark looked like an angel with his big eyes and his dark hair dusted with pale snowflakes. Without thinking, Lex brought him in for a kiss. Clark's mouth was warm and giving, not hard and insistent, as Lex had been accustomed to with other lovers.

Not that they were lovers. Lex was determined to do something about that.

When Clark pulled away this time, there was something in his eyes that hadn't been there before. "Come on," he said, taking Lex by the hand.

Lex had thought it would be more difficult to skate while holding someone's hand. He'd thought it would throw his balance and rhythm off. But since he had no balance, and had no rhythm... Clark was like a rock, steady and solid beside him. And every time he wobbled, close to falling, a strong arm would circle around him to keep him upright.

"You're getting the hang of it," Clark said after they had skated for an hour with no catastrophes.

"You just have good reflexes," Lex pointed out.

They had stopped to catch their breath at the side of the rink. The sky was light and ghostly, a mass of clouds. The snow fell more thickly, bringing a hush over the city.

"Do you trust me?" Clark asked.

It was a strange question, one Lex hadn't considered. "Yes," he said slowly. Clark was looking at him with an earnest expression on his face. They kissed again, and Lex noticed how cold his nose was against Clark's warm one. He reached out to touch Clark's cheek, wet with melted snow. "How do you stay so warm?"

Clark shrugged. "Born that way. Are you cold?"

Lex nodded.

Clark kissed Lex's nose, and held gloved hands against his icy ears. "Do you want to go home?"

"I want to go home _with you_," Lex clarified.

***

Lex hadn't spent much time at Clark's house. It was kind of an unspoken agreement that they usually met somewhere, or came to Lex's. But, on this particular night, Clark didn't object. By the time they reached the house, over two inches of snow had gathered on the ground. They stomped their boots on the front porch and removed their coats just inside the door. Lex could think of no better way to spend a snowy night than in bed with a hot professor.

Once they were inside, Lex excused himself, and shut himself in the bathroom. His reflection in the mirror surprised him. He looked happy, almost like a stranger. His nose was pink from the cold, as were his cheeks. He washed his face and slowly undressed, folding his clothes neatly. When he was naked, he opened the door quietly, and tiptoed down the hall toward what he deduced was Clark's bedroom.

Feeling for the light switch, Lex flipped it and examined the room. It was tidy and homey, just as Lex had imagined. A hand-sewn quilt adorned the double bed. Lex set his clothes down, turned the bedside lamp on, turned off the overhead light, climbed under the covers, and waited.

It was only a few minutes before he heard the tread of Clark's footsteps, and the soft "Lex?"

"I'm in here," Lex answered, pushing the blankets down around his waist.

Clark appeared in the doorway, deftly concealing his surprise. He leaned against the jamb. "What are you doing?"

"Thinking about you," Lex said, burrowing against the pillows.

"Lex..."

"What? You said I'm my own harshest critic, and that if I think I deserve something, then I probably do. We've been going out for two months. We haven't done anything but kiss."

"I wouldn't call it 'going out.'"

"Are you ashamed to date me?" Lex bit out, even though somewhere deep inside, he knew that wasn't true at all.

"No..." Clark looked down at the floor.

"I want you to look at me." Lex pulled the blanket away from his body.

Clark raised his eyes. "God, Lex."

"I know you're attracted to me. Are you afraid you're going to get some disease? I'm clean. I get checked all the time."

"That's not it."

Clark was panicking. Lex could sense it.

"Then what is it?" Lex waited, naked body exposed to Clark's gaze.

"I don't want to hurt you," Clark said finally, coming to sit at the foot of the bed. He carefully averted his eyes, refusing to look at Lex.

"You're hurting me now."

Clark took a deep breath. "I mean physically. I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

"I was once fucked by three guys in a row with no lube. It hurt to shit for days. Trust me, you can't do anything worse than that." Lex sat up and crawled toward Clark.

"I can. I have." Clark looked as if he were trying to curl in on himself.

"Tell me." All of a sudden, more than anything, Lex wanted to know the story.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Lex. You'll have to learn to stop asking."

Lex straddled Clark's lap and put his hands on the broad shoulders. "I think the question is, do you want me to know? I think you do." Lex bit at Clark's earlobe, sucking it into his mouth. Clark didn't resist. Didn't push him away. "Do you trust me?" Lex whispered.

There was a long silence during which Lex regretted asking the question. Finally, Lex said, "Because I trust you. I trust you not to hurt me." And he meant it.

"You don't know what you're saying," Clark said, giving Lex's chest a light push.

Lex backed off and lay on the bed. He really had been thinking about Clark while lying there, and his cock was hard. He stroked it lightly, watching Clark all the while. When Clark finally looked his way, Lex spread his legs and licked his lips. He'd made a lot of professors blush during his short college career, but never quite so pleasingly as he was doing now.

Lex could feel his heart racing not only with arousal, but with a slight edge of something else. Not fear exactly. But he was intrigued. Clearly, Clark had hurt someone badly enough that he dreaded even the remotest possibility of doing it again.

"Did you know I have these miraculous healing powers? I was in a meteor shower when I was a baby. It gave me this super immune system. I never get sick." Lex stroked Clark's thigh with the arch of his foot.

"I know. I was there."

"You were there?"

Clark shifted his weight and came up to rest beside Lex. They lay on their sides observing one another. Lex rubbed his thumb over the head of his cock, enjoying the slick slide of skin and precome. He put his thumb in Clark's mouth. Clark sucked gently, then Lex kissed him, lips and tongue. Fingers splaying over biceps and bare skin. So warm. So strong.

"Tell me," Lex said, pulling away.

Clark's eyes were half-closed, and his attention seemed to be focussed on breathing. Lex didn't want to give him too much time to think, so he reached down between their bodies and gave Clark's erection a light caress through his jeans.

"I can't do this, Lex. I'll lose control." Clark squeezed his eyes shut and rolled onto his back.

"That's what sex is about."

"If I lose control, I'll hurt you."

"Are you trying to get me to tie you up, because all you have to do is ask. I've done it all." Lex propped himself on his elbows and watched the rise and fall of Clark's chest.

"It's so much more complicated than that. You don't even know."

Lex nodded, beginning to understand that he wasn't about to hear some ordinary story. He remembered Clark's remarkable grace on the ice, and his ability to catch Lex every time he was about to fall. "I've heard there are other people like me who were affected by the meteors." He slid his hand under Clark's shirt and lifted the fabric. The skin of Clark's chest was as beautiful as the rest of him. Lex bent his head and circled a nipple with his tongue.

"Lex..." It was a half-hearted protest. No matter how good a man's intentions, there was a certain point when his cock started doing the thinking.

Lex was counting on it.

"You won't hurt me. I promise. If you do, I'll heal," Lex said against Clark's other nipple.

Clark arched up unconsciously. Lex tugged at the shirt, trying to work it up over Clark's shoulders.

"Stop," Clark sighed, not very convincingly.

"Sh. Sex now, talk later." Lex brought Clark's hand to his balls, and Clark instinctively moved them against one another in his palm. "I trust you," he repeated. No one had ever treated him as gently as Clark had. It didn't matter what he'd done in the past. Lex simply didn't believe it could happen in the present.

"I broke my girlfriend's shoulder, once," Clark said, turning away from Lex.

"What did I say?" Lex put his finger over Clark's lips in a shushing gesture.

"But--"

"I don't care. Now get this shirt off." Lex struggled against the bunched fabric.

All of a sudden, Clark tore at the shirt, ripping it from his chest with no effort at all. Lex watched, mesmerized. It took a lot to shock him. But it took only a split-second to regain his composure.

"Can you do that with your jeans, too?" Lex traced a path from Clark's navel down to the line of denim.

Clark tore those as well, sundering the buttons from the cloth, and sending them flying into the corners of the room. It was a challenge, a dare for Lex to keep going. They stared at each other for a long minute, at an impasse.

One of the lessons Lex had been taught by his father was never to show your surprise. A good businessman had grace under pressure, and could fake his way through the most stressful situation. Lex never thought he'd thank his father for anything, but the practice in stoicism was coming in handy. Without a word, Lex bent to pull the remnants of fabric down over Clark's hips, and off his legs.

A naked Clark was worth all the pain in the world. The biceps had been only the barest indicator of the god-like physique that lay under Clark's clothes. At first sight, Lex resolved that he didn't give a shit what happened to him that night. He didn't care if he ended up in the hospital. All he wanted was to suck Clark's cock. If he was lucky, one of them would get fucked, too.

Lex didn't like giant dicks -- getting fucked by one was like giving birth in reverse -- and he didn't like small dicks, either. After all, he needed to feel like he had something to work with. Clark's was just right, solid in his hand, big enough that he had a real mouthful. He was in heaven. He could detect new layers of scent, normally hidden by Clark's clothes, and by distance. Now he was close, fingers in the coarse, dark curls at the base of Clark's cock, tongue learning the textures of new skin.

Clark had only resisted for a moment, pressing gently on Lex's shoulder. But Lex had batted his hand away, intent on accomplishing his mission. Resistance was futile, a lesson Clark was quickly learning. He lay back on the quilt, at Lex's mercy. Lex was really, really good at blowjobs. He'd gone down on more guys than a Vegas hooker. It was a talent, one he could employ for money if he ever needed to.

Judging by the sounds Clark was making, Lex hadn't lost his touch during his two-month celibacy, the longest he'd gone without sex since getting his driver's license.

"Lex!"

Lex ignored the exclamation. Until he felt Clark's large hands on his skull.

"Stop. Stop," Clark panted.

Lex kept going, even as the hands pushed his head away. Suddenly, the object of his attentions was gone, and Clark had scrambled to the head of the bed.

"What's wrong?" Lex was out of breath, thrown off by the disruption. "Don't you like it?"

"I had to..." Clark pressed his back against the wall and took a deep breath.

On his knees, Lex walked up the bed until he was touching Clark, nestled between his legs. He leaned in and kissed Clark's mouth. "Do it again," he whispered.

"Do what?" Clark breathed, mouth so close to Lex's that the words went right into him.

"Lose control." Lex scooted down and resumed his task.

"God. Lex. I'm serious."

Lex didn't respond. Just pushed Clark's thighs farther apart and reached down between his asscheeks to finger his sensitive skin. Despite his concentration, he heard the thud of Clark's head hitting the wall, heard the crushing of plaster somewhere, he didn't know where. Then Clark was coming, filling Lex's mouth with his essence. Lex swallowed it all, high from the experience of finally gratifying his desires.

There was silence as they both recovered. After a moment, Lex ventured a glance at the wall, which had partially crumbled under Clark's assault. Clark took in the damage out of the corner of his eye. Neither of them mentioned the minor destruction.

Lex was curious, but his cock wasn't. It just wanted to be inside Clark, it didn't care where. It didn't care about the smashed plaster, or the fact that Clark's hands weren't bleeding at all. There would be time for questions later.

Fingers in Clark's hair, Lex pulled him in for a kiss, bruising and fast, fueled by urgency. "What do you want to do?" Lex asked, voice hoarse from the rawness in his throat. He placed Clark's hand on his cock.

"I want..." Clark let go and guided Lex down onto his back. Lex spread his legs, and arched up wantonly.

"Do it," Lex said. "Whatever you want to do." He put a finger in his mouth, then brought his hand down to his cleft. He circled the hole lightly, gazing into Clark's eyes.

"God."

Lex smiled. He'd made a good Kansas farmboy take the lord's name in vain. Several times.

The first touch of Clark's tongue was like water after a ten mile run. Lex had missed this. And he usually did it with a condom. Being skin to tongue felt like an indiscretion. Delicious wrongdoing. Lex wondered why he wasn't worried.

Clark was an explorer. Not fast and dirty. He tongued Lex's cock like he was testing a new food. A hesitant lick, a taste, a dip into the slit, a touch to the bumps and textures. Lex closed his eyes and gave himself up to the slow sensations. Clark wasn't a professional. Not at all. But he was enjoying himself. Lex could feel it. And it was better than all the experience in the world. Clark's mouth journeyed down the length of Lex's shaft, then spent some time learning the slightly different feel of his balls, and the naked, puckered skin between his cheeks.

Lex's breaths were quick and shallow, and the tension was about to break him. He reached down and grasped his cock, stroking in that familiar way. Clark stopped what he was doing and watched him until he came.

They lay in silence for a long while. Maybe even half an hour. They didn't speak, but after a few minutes, Lex curled toward Clark and slung his left leg over Clark's right, half-lying on him. Clark's arms circled Lex's slim back comfortably. Lex lay awake, thinking. He could hear Clark breathing, slowly, surely, steadily. He could hear Clark's heart, could feel it, even. He could feel the heat radiating from Clark's body. Lex snuggled in closer. He felt at home, like he was right where he belonged. The mansion with its cold hallways and the brisk tapping of his father's footsteps seemed as distant as the farthest planet. The body next to him was his entire world.

Lex didn't want to break the silence, and neither, it seemed, did Clark. It was almost jarring when Clark moved beneath him, reaching over to pull the edge of the blanket over them. Their eyes met, and Lex smiled. He felt happy. Actually happy. It was the strangest feeling.

"Did I hurt you?" Clark whispered.

Lex shook his head. "I told you it would be okay."

"I could have."

Lex couldn't deny it. He wasn't that good. Instead he said, "I'm not afraid. I think we should do it again."

"Really?" Clark grinned.

"You need to get laid more often." Lex hovered over Clark's prone form and kissed him gently. "I can help you with that."

"I wouldn't want anyone else to."

Lex bit at Clark's jaw, loving the feel of stubble and bone under his teeth. He'd never considered himself patient before, but, then, Clark had taught him a lot. He didn't expect Clark to tell him the whole story right away. He could wait. He had all the time in the world.

***

Lex couldn't recall the last time he'd woken in someone's arms. It must have been when he was a small child. Thus, it was a strange feeling to return to consciousness with someone wrapped around him. Someone warm. It took Lex a moment to realize where he was, and with whom. Lex wasn't used to mornings-after without pain or hangover, or that horrible feeling that he'd done things he didn't remember.

Thankfully, every last detail of the previous night was firmly imbedded in his memory. The way Clark had held him and kissed him, telling him how sexy he was, how he'd been attracted to Lex since the first week of class when Lex had refused to do any assignments, how it had been difficult to concentrate on teaching when Lex was watching him... They had talked well into the night, carefully avoiding the topic of Clark's extraordinary strength.

Now, in the light of day, their naked bodies touching from head to toe, the reality of what Lex had done hit him. He'd finally shagged the professor. Accomplished his goal. He could move on to the next challenge: getting Victoria Hardwick stoned and pregnant, for instance. That would surely irritate his father. The thought floated right out of Lex's head, however, much to his surprise. Instead, he found himself contemplating how soon he could leave the dreaded holiday parties to spend some time with Clark.

Lex felt movement behind him, and he shifted his body so he could look at Clark's face. Clark blinked sleepily and smiled.

"It was real," Clark said in a quiet, wondering voice.

"Yeah." Lex ran his fingers through Clark's tousled hair.

"I didn't want to wake up in case it was a dream."

In a haze of happiness, Lex caressed the tan skin of Clark's chest, then worked his hand between their bodies to find Clark's cock. It was hard and warm, the skin incredibly smooth in his palm. He twisted his hand, finding a rhythm.

"Lex," Clark breathed, a note of warning in his voice.

"We're going to do it a lot until you stop worrying."

Clark licked his lips, but made no further protest. After a moment, Lex felt large hands on his ass pulling him closer. Clark as a mild-mannered Astronomy professor had been pretty sexy, but Clark as an exceptionally strong, out-of-control meteor mutant was like crack. Before long, they both lay, sticky and sated, holding one another.

Lex could feel the fingermarks on his hips and his upper arms. They made him feel marked. Possessed. Claimed.

"I bruised you," Clark observed softly.

"You did less damage than ice-skating." Lex laid his head on Clark's shoulder, trying to get closer than touch would allow. "How long has it been since you last had sex?"

"Almost five years."

Lex couldn't imagine going without sex for that long. And it was criminal for someone as gorgeous as Clark.

"It was so bad that time," Clark began slowly. "I had to take her to the hospital, and she wouldn't talk to me, even though it was an accident. When something like that happens... it makes you afraid to try again. Then I met you, and I wanted you...so much..."

Clark's arms wrapped tightly around Lex's body. Lex pressed even closer, kissing Clark's neck. No one had ever wanted him like Clark wanted him. For more than sex or money. No one. And he'd never wanted anyone badly enough to endure two months of celibacy.

"Do you still?" Lex asked, even though he knew the answer.

Lex felt Clark's lips grace his skull. Felt the hands on his back swiftly erasing any doubts. He belonged to someone. Lex wasn't accustomed to it. All his life, he'd been shuffled from boarding school to nanny to tutor, then back to boarding school again. Even now, when he went home, he felt like a visitor. Not an honored guest, but an obligation. His father expected him to appear, to fulfill his duties as heir, but didn't care whether Lex was happy or healthy. Just the thought of returning to the mansion made him feel desolate and lonely, even in the warmth of Clark's embrace.

"What are you thinking about?" Clark asked, breaking the silence.

"I have to go home today," Lex mumbled against Clark's skin.

"What for?"

"Stupid corporate party my father's throwing."

"You can come here afterwards. If you like." The offer was made hesitantly, as if Clark wasn't sure Lex would accept.

Lex smiled imagining having Clark to look forward to. It would make the day bearable. "It'll be late. Do you mind?"

"I'll give you a key. You can let yourself in if I'm asleep."

Clark's morning smell was intoxicating and warm. Comforting. "I can climb in bed with you when you're sleeping?"

"Yes." No more than a whisper, barely audible.

Lex pulled back to look at Clark's face. The expression he saw there made his stomach clench in a completely unknown way. He'd lied before. He _was_ scared. Not of being physically hurt, because he'd been through all that and worse. He could survive anything. But this thing, whatever it was, being here, lying in the sun, touching and talking and smelling and breathing and kissing... It made him feel like he was falling, like he had no control. There was no pain. It was strange and weightless. Disorienting. But he wanted it. More than anything.

"I can't wait," Lex said.

***

The mansion hadn't changed since the last time Lex had been forced to attend a function there. In his old room, Lex stood before the mirror, dressing the part of Lionel Luthor's heir.

Without warning, the door to the bedroom opened and Lionel swept in.

"Son. Welcome home," Lionel said, assessing Lex's appearance.

"I've been here for two hours, Dad." Lex inserted his cufflinks with jerky movements.

"I hope this visit will be less traumatic than the last."

"Every visit is the same, in my opinion."

"Victoria Hardwick will be here..." Lionel insinuated. "See to it that she has a good time. I'm working on a merger with Hardwick Industries."

"That's what you said about Serena King, and look how that turned out," Lex said.

"I'd prefer not to have to call an ambulance this time."

"How was I supposed to know she'd never snorted coke. Your little business projects should tell me these things."

"You know what I want, Lex." Lionel reached around Lex in a faux embrace and adjusted his tie, studying their images in the mirror.

"I'm not an escort service."

"You have the habits of one. Don't disappoint me tonight." Lionel gave Lex a pat on the back and retreated from the room.

"I'll try not to," Lex said bitterly to his double in the glass.

***

"I've heard a lot about you," Victoria said in what she probably hoped was a seductive voice.

Lex extricated his arm from her grasp. "What have you heard, exactly?" Lex surveyed the room, wondering when he'd be able to escape this vapid conversation.

"I hear you're a good fuck," she whispered in his ear. "I'd like to find out for myself."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible." He stepped away. Her perfume was giving him a headache.

Victoria looked genuinely confused. She was actually quite pretty and, under normal circumstances, Lex would have been fucking her senseless before the party was even half over. But circumstances had changed.

"I'm actually dating someone," Lex confessed, and was surprised to feel a warmth spread across his face when he said it.

"How old-fashioned of you," Victoria laughed. "Surely, you wouldn't let that get in the way of some holiday fun."

Lex backed away from her stroking hands. He would be able to see Clark in a few hours when this was all over. The thought calmed him.

"I think Colin Weston will have to take over my duties," Lex said, nodding toward the brash young man across the room. He wasn't a billionaire, but he'd have to do for Victoria.

Victoria recoiled as if she'd been slapped. Lex had a feeling he was in trouble.

***

In the study an hour later, Lex received his punishment: one of Lionel's lectures.

"You fail to understand how business works, Son." Lionel poured himself a brandy.

"What exactly does fucking Victoria Hardwick have to do with a corporate merger? Nothing, really. A business deal should have to do with mutually beneficial financial arrangements." Lex leaned sulkily against the mantle.

"I asked you to show her a good time, and I expected you to fulfill that request."

"I did show her a good time. I talked to that vacuous bitch for two hours. I poured her champagne. I introduced her to people..."

"And she ran to Daddy and said you rejected her. She wanted you, Lex -- God knows why -- and giving her what she wants is part of getting Hardwick to agree to my terms."

"Why not give him a fair deal? That's a more sound business plan."

"Lex." Lionel sighed. "It's not too late to fix this. Get out there and give the girl everything her perverted heart desires."

"No, thanks. I think I'll just go home."

"Home? This is your home, Lex. You seem to forget that."

"This was never home to me." It was the last thing Lex said as he walked out the door. He didn't hear a response. In a moment, he found himself waiting impatiently as the valet brought the Porsche around to the front.

The transmission suffered the effects of Lex's irritation as he peeled out of the long, curved driveway and sped toward the heart of the city. Within fifteen minutes, he screeched to a halt in front of Clark's small house. The porch light had been left on for him. Lex climbed wearily from the car and approached the front door.

Inside, the house was dark. It was after one, and Clark was undoubtedly asleep. Lex found his way to the bathroom and closed himself in before turning on the light. The face in the mirror looked tired and angry. Lex massaged his jaw, trying to relax the muscle. Slowly, he undressed and turned on the shower. He wanted to wash away everything Luthor.

Lex was so lost in thought, lost in steam and hot water, that he didn't hear the door open. Clark was just suddenly there behind him, naked and gentle, encompassing him. Lex turned and pushed Clark against the wall, kissing him harshly, bruisingly hard. Kisses that would have drawn blood on anyone else.

"I want to fuck you," Lex said, grinding his erection into Clark's belly.

"Sh." Clark kissed Lex's forehead, cupping Lex's head in his hands, brushing his thumbs across Lex's wet cheeks.

When their mouths met again, the kiss was quiet and searching. Lex submitted, relaxing into it. After a moment, Clark turned off the water and led Lex out of the shower. Without a word, he grabbed a towel and dried Lex's face, then his arms, taking care to lift each one and dry underneath. He rubbed the towel along Lex's back, and his chest. Knelt to dry the crevice of Lex's ass, pausing to kiss each cheek. Lex found it impossibly arousing to be tended this way.

"Lift this foot," Clark said, tapping Lex's left foot.

Lex held onto Clark's shoulder and raised his foot. Clark dried the underside, smoothing along the arch with the towel, then dried between his toes before setting his foot down.

"Now this one."

Lex lifted his right foot and Clark repeated the procedure.

"Get in bed. I'll be there in a second." Clark stood and began drying his own body.

Instead of obeying, Lex simply watched. He couldn't get enough of Clark. Every inch of him was lovely and perfect. Lex wanted to touch and taste and swallow. Clark smiled shyly at him.

"Bad night?"

Lex nodded. "I'm glad to be here." He took Clark's hand and led him toward the bedroom.

In the soft lamplight, they climbed under the rumpled covers. With Clark's warm body next to his, Lex could almost forget who he was. Could almost forget every word his father had ever said to him.

"My dad wanted me to fuck some businessman's daughter so he could get a good deal on a merger." Lex snuggled closer to Clark, breathing in the scent of soap and slept-in sheets.

"Did you?"

"Of course not. I turned her down, and she ran to daddy. So I got bawled out."

Clark laughed.

"It wasn't funny," Lex protested.

"I can't even imagine it," Clark said, smoothing his hands along Lex's back.

"I kept thinking about you, and wishing I was here." He tilted his head up and kissed Clark. Sweetly this time, no anger left. He felt calm and comfortable for the first time since the morning.

The kiss deepened as they explored one another's mouths. Lex knew he tasted like alcohol, but Clark tasted like Clark. Unadulterated. Honest.

"Tell me everything?" Lex asked, even though Luthors never asked. They always demanded.

Of its own accord, Lex's hand found Clark's erection.

"Mmm. After," Clark hummed, pushing Lex onto his back and inching down Lex's body. "I want to touch you." He kissed Lex's belly, and the soft skin of his thighs.

The first flicker of Clark's tongue on his cock made Lex close his eyes and arch his back. Clark was more confident this time, his tongue fluttering and teasing. Lex gave in to it, gave up his body and his mind, overwhelmed by the gentleness of it. He could feel in every gesture how much Clark loved him. It was foreign and unsettling, and when Lex came, his stomach lurched with emotion. He lay there for a moment afterwards, waiting for the room to stop spinning. He'd had too much to drink. He'd driven recklessly and pissed off his father. But none of that seemed to matter. Before he was conscious of action, he had Clark's cock in his mouth, and he was caressing strong thighs with his pale hands. This felt right. Comforting. Sane.

Clark came, clutching at the sheets until they tore. Recalling the night before, Lex glanced at the wall behind the bed.

Clark saw what he was looking at and said, "Did you know that on some planets, there's hardly any sun?" He shifted his head to look Lex in the eye. "People just live in darkness."

Lex scooted up on his belly until he and Clark were face to face. He could tell by Clark's voice that this line of thought was leading somewhere. "Like that Ray Bradbury story?"

Clark shook his head. "I don't know it."

"It takes place on Venus where it rains all day, every day. Except for once every seven years when the sun shines."

Skin to skin, they were so close, almost part of each other.

"There's this girl from earth, and she's miserable there because there's no sun. Everyone makes fun of her for talking about earth all the time. They lock her in the closet, and that's where she is on the day it stops raining and the sun comes out. All the kids go out to play and they forget about her. Then, when they come back in, they remember." Lex finished the story quietly. It had always affected him, ever since he'd read it in third grade. He could hear Clark's soft breathing.

"It didn't rain _all_ the time, but it rained a lot. The planet was destroyed. I don't know why. I'm still trying to figure that out."

Lex lay, trying to read between the lines. Clark was telling him something.

"What happened to the people who lived there?"

"I'm the only one left."

Lex could feel the tension in Clark's body as he waited for a response. Lex wasn't surprised, exactly, though the thought of Clark being an alien honestly hadn't occurred to him. He had a lot of questions about biology and space travel. He wondered how long Clark had been here, how long he'd known what he was, how long he'd had to hide... The questions fired through Lex's brain, but beneath all of them, Lex felt the same. Nothing had changed, really, except that Clark had taken a big gamble. More evidence of how important Lex was to him. No one had ever trusted Lex so completely. It was a strange feeling. For a moment, Lex didn't know what to say.

"It must be lonely," he said finally, kissing warm lips, thinking about waking up in the morning in Clark's bed. "I hate to think of you being lonely."

"I wanted to tell you now, so that if you changed your mind..."

"I would never change my mind." Lex rubbed against Clark. He had sex on the brain again. Further scientific inquiry could wait.

Clark settled back against the pillows. "It's the sun," he said. "It makes me strong."

"Do you photosynthesize?" Lex asked automatically.

"No, I don't think so." Clark laughed. He stopped laughing when Lex bent and bit his nipple.

"I want you inside me," Lex whispered, reaching between Clark's legs to caress his balls.

"What if...?"

Lex could hear the fear in Clark's voice, but he could also feel Clark's body responding to his touch. He knew he'd end up having his way. "Sh," Lex said. _I love you_. The words floated through his brain, and he straightened up in surprise.

"Second thoughts?" Clark asked hesitantly.

"No. Never." He kissed Clark again, trying to sound confident, even though his insides had leapt off a cliff. How could he explain that it wasn't Clark's alien-ness that had made him falter, but rather the simple fact of his realization. Love. Not lust. Not vengeful attraction. Not boredom. Not an attempt to prove something. Not a chess move.

He could feel Clark's strong hands on his hips, slowing his movements, grounding him again, when he'd been about to panic.

"I love you," Lex whispered wonderingly against Clark's collarbone, a safe place to put the words. They sounded like a question, and his throat closed up as soon as he'd said them. "Is that okay?" Lex asked, ignoring the strange feeling in his stomach.

"Lex," Clark said, exasperated. He pushed Lex onto his back. "Don't you get it?"

Clark's kisses were tender and said more than words.

Lex closed his eyes and smiled. He got it. He was about to have great sex again. Then he'd fall asleep in Clark's arms. And he'd wake up there, too. He'd wake up, warm and loved, and Clark would make him breakfast. Pancakes, maybe.

If he was lucky.


End file.
